Software

App of the Week: What Is the Deal with Vine Anyway?

If you don't follow social media closely (hey, good for you!), you may be wondering what the hell a Vine is and why it has been in the news lately? Good question. Vine is another free social media app for smartphones built to share super short videos in much the same way Instagram shares videos but ... More >>

Twitter for Video App Vine Loaded Down with Porn Videos in First Week of Launch

Twitter finally released its much anticipated video companion app, Vine, last week. The video sharing network allows users to post very short video clips and share them with other users both on their own network and on Twitter. Like Twitter, hashtags help define videos and make them more easily sear ... More >>

Waze, Echofon, Chrome: My 12 Favorite Apps of 2012

It's been a crazy year in apps. Apple released the iPhone 6, complete with larger screen and new OS, as well as the iPad mini, aka Jumbo iPhone. There were scores of updates from manufacturers and, as usual, thousands of new apps on the market. I wrote about my favorite 10 apps of 2011 last year ar ... More >>

California Department of Education Employee Busted for Obsessive Commenting on News Website

Commenters are a fascinating Internet species. The anonymity that comes with posting comments on a news story gives people the opportunity to express their innermost thoughts and feelings. It also affords them the chance to be complete and utter assholes. It's as if commenters are pur id, acting lik ... More >>

Google Discontinues Free Version of Google Apps for Business

Most people could care less about Gmail outside of the free e-mail accounts so many of us use on a daily basis, but one of the best kept secrets of Gmail was the fact that Google provided a free version of its Google Apps for business that allowed small businesses to create up to seven users under a ... More >>

App of the Week: Camera Awesome, the Most...Um...Awesome Photo App Ever

App: Camera Awesome Platform: iPhone, iPad Website: Awesomize.com Cost: Free I've reviewed a number of camera/photography apps in this space. It comes with being a photographer who appreciates technology. I wanted a digital SLR camera as soon as one hit the market and I enjoy shooting photos with m ... More >>

App of the Week: AroundMe Points You in the Right Direction

App: AroundMe Platform: iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile Website: AroundMeApp.com Cost: Free (with ads), $2.99 (without) One of the most usable features of any smartphone is its mapping technology. In essence, the smartphone is a simplified GPS tracker and because of Google's open mapping technology ... More >>

Dave Wrangler, Part 2: "I Still Do Some Sampling"

Earlier this morning, Houston DJ Dave Wrangler was kind enough to explain to Rocks Off the difference between a mashup and a remix, as well as his procedure in constructing Frankenstein-like songs such as ""Wanna Be a Big Poppa," which combines the efforts of Lil Troy and Notorious B.I.G. Into a thi ... More >>

11 Great Apps for Dad This Father's Day

My father loved his computer. I know because he used to call me for tech support almost every day. He was the kind of guy who loved to try out new gadgets. I think a lot of us guys are that way. I know I'm certainly a chip off the ol' block. In that spirit, it makes sense to round up some great app ... More >>

The Food Lover's Guide to Paris has Gone High Tech: There's an App for That

The indispensable guidebook to Paris by French food authority Patricia Wells is The Food Lover's Guide to Paris. Wells knows exactly where to find the flakiest croissants, the essential bistros, the most knowledgeable wine merchants, the richest, darkest chocolates, the most sublime cheeses, the ear ... More >>

App of the Week: Socialcam, New Scourge of Facebook

App: Socialcam Platform: iPhone, Android Website: Socialcam.com Cost: Free Most of the time, this column is dedicated to actual apps that go on smartphones and while this is an app, it's also something else, but I'll hit the app part first for the purposes of being thorough. Socialcam has position ... More >>

App of the Week: No-Wait Checkouts with the Apple Store App

App: Apple Store Platform: iPhone Website: Apple Store App Cost: Free For years I've used the self-checkout lanes at grocery stores. Years ago I was a checker at a Kroger, and I find that I'm often as fast if not faster than the checkout person -- unless I have produce -- and the line certainly mov ... More >>

Google Earth's New "Ballparks of America" Video Can't Be Bothered To Get The Mets' Stadium Name Right

Google Earth is celebrating the return of the baseball season with a swooping bird's-eye view of the country's ballparks. The video zooms you in and out of cities coast-to-coast, including the Astros' Minute Maid Park. And, of course, the New York Mets' semi-new Shea Stadium. Not the Shea Stadium ... More >>

App of the Week: Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo App

App: Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Platform: iPhone, Android Website: Apple Store, Android Store Cost: Free One of the growing trends in app development is the use of location-based apps for very specific events. It started with large concerts like Austin City Limits and spread to big conference ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Internet Explorer Fans Bite Back

We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involving wit ... More >>

Five Reasons You Should Quit Using Internet Explorer

For more than ten years, I've been assisting companies in building and maintaining their Web sites and Web applications. There are lots of things that can be frustrating about this process, most of which have to do with a lack of knowledge on the part of my clients, which is not entirely their fault ... More >>

App of the Week: Instagram

App: Instagram Platform: iPhone Website: http://instagr.am/ Cost: Free I began teaching a class on beginner photography last week for people with nice digital 35mm cameras who need help learning how to use them. When the idea was first presented to me, I suggested that approach rather than opening ... More >>

App of the Week: WeatherBug Elite

​App: App Shopper Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, Windows, Palm Web site: WeatherBug Website Cost: $0.99 People who know me know I'm a weather nerd. I love reading about it and talking about high pressure areas, cold fronts, hurricanes and the like. The doppler radar plays a pro ... More >>

Angry Birds, Shazam & Evernote: My 10 Favorite Apps of 2011

Evernote. Get it.​I buy a lot of apps for my iPhone; too many, really. Some are just to review. Others are for actual use, some even every day. But, truth is, there are more on my phone than I can reasonably be expected to use on a regular basis, but I like them all...mostly, and I do use them ... More >>

Best Of... App Gets a High-Five From iTunes

​It's the end of the year, which means lots of best-of lists, and we're happy to announce that our own Best Of... app made the iTunes 2011 Rewind's list off best travel apps. The app, which was released in March, contains all of the Best of Houston winners, as well as winners from our sister ... More >>

App of the Week: Pageonce, Organizing Your Finances So You Don't Have To

Track all your money and bills using Pageonce.​App: Pageonce Platforms: iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Web site: Pageonce.com Cost: Free (ad supported), $12.99 (pro version) - monthly and annual subscriptions also available I will fully admit that I have struggled at times to keep t ... More >>

The Best Barbecue in Texas: There's an App for That

​This week, Texas Monthly unveiled a new website and an application for the iPhone that claims to help you "discover, discuss and debate the best BBQ joints in Texas -- and worldwide." Whoa, worldwide? Let's just take this one step at at time, Texas Monthly, and let's see how the app shakes o ... More >>

App of the Week: Three Hurricane Tracking Apps Just in Time for Hurricane Season

Hurricane is about as good as it gets for tracking storms on your phone.​App: Hurricane Platforms: iPhone Web site: Apple Link Cost: $3.99 App: iHurricane HD Platforms: iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile Web site: Download Link Cost: $2.99 App: Hurricane Tracker Platforms: iPhone Web ... More >>

App of the Week: MySocialMania

It doesn't get much easier than this.​App: MySocialMania Platforms: iPhone Web site: Apple Link Cost: $0.99 Mania seems to be an appropriate word when discussing the crazed use of social media by millions worldwide. From Twitter to Facebook to Flickr to MySpace (God help us), millions of ... More >>

Goose Creek ISD Can Get All Gay: ACLU Succeeds in Ending Web-Filtering of GLBT Content

Overzealous filtering ends in Goose Creek.​Last month we told you how Baytown's Goose Creek school district was one of four nationwide targeted by the American Civil Liberties Union in a complaint over blocking gay-related material from school computers. One Goose Creek student trying to rese ... More >>

App of the Week: Four Apps to Ease Your Summer Airline Travel

Use these apps to help you survive summer travel and keep your face intact.​App: FlightTrack Platforms: iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Palm Web site: Mobiata.com Cost: $3.99 (Pro for $9.99) App: FlightBoard Platforms: iPhone, Android Web site: Mobiata.com Cost: $3.99 App: Skyscanner P ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Video Poker Edition

​We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involv ... More >>

App of the Week: How Evernote Organized My Life

Organize your notes and your life with Evernote.​App: Evernote Platforms: iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Palm, desktop apps also available for Mac and PC Web site: Evernote.com Cost: Free ($5 monthly or $45 annually for premium service) I'm a note taker. Over the years, my desk ... More >>

There's an App for That: SeamlessWeb Takes Aim at Food Delivery

A list of available restaurants in the 77027 area code.​For those with a love of food and obsession with their smart phones, these are amazing times. There are apps that give iPhone and Android users all sorts of options when it comes to food, from finding happy hours to ranking restaurants. ... More >>

Say Vanderland Industries! IAH Gets New Baggage Handling System

The new baggage handling system at IAH is real, and it's spectacular.​With pat downs and body scans and full cavity searches (we're pretty sure those are all real), it seems like airports are taking our safety pretty damn seriously. Sure, it's an inconvenience and there's a chance naked manneq ... More >>

Presenting... Theremin Hero!

Every day Rocks Off trolls the tubes of you in search of videos deemed worthy to share. If you have something you think deserves to be video of the day, send a link to jef_rouner@yahoo.com. ​You're thinking, "It's a joke or a parody or a trick," but you are so, so wrong. Grieg Stewart has act ... More >>

Welcome To Glitchville. Population: Us

There have been some troubles with the blogging software throughout the massive Village Voice Media empire, so we haven't been able to post.We're confident the problem has been solved, and we'll be able to get back to doing whatever the hell it is we do.Thanks for the patience, even if you didn't re ... More >>

Texas Gets Into The Gaming Industry

Photo by RebeccaPollardNews flash -- Texas is getting into the gaming industry!!!Unfortunately for poker junkies, we're not using "gaming" in the euphemistic sense that gambling boosters use it. Instead it's in the video-gaming sense, of young people wasting and warping their lives by holing up in d ... More >>

Photoshop Phun At The Baylor College Of Medicine

The wonders of Photoshop are bountiful -- they let Sooner football fans taunt UT; they allow people to make bold, trenchant analysis of the current socio-political world by showing George Bush in his "Mission Accomplished" flightsuit in unlikely settings; they probably have something to do with lolc ... More >>

Change We Can't Believe In

The Science of Pop

Do we really need a formula for perfect music?

Yahoo Lyrics Link

Diggin' on Digital

Cyber Sunday

It's not just for geeks anymore. Fantasy football's gone mainstream.

Oral Argument

The duel of the tongue vibrators

High-Tech Shia Pet

A Houston computer whiz uses the Internet to become a Muslim marriage matchmaker

HISD's $2 Million Man

A shadowy California consultant rakes in school district cash

Laptop Liberaces

Trax in Space adds another dimension to the music galaxy

All's Dell

So long to slackers and laid-back lifestyles. Now that cash-rich techies have taken over, can Austin survive the great digital divide?

State of the Art

Compaq, then and now

Contributing Factors

Debra Danburg swears she'll defend your right to open government. But when it comes to Internet campaign finance reports, ignorance is bliss.

Computer Terror

Duane Franklet programs a cyberthriller into Houston

Besieged by the Bay

Beset by skyrocketing tax assessments and wary of encroaching development, property owners in San Leon-Bacliff wonder if their "poor man's Riviera" may soon go the way of other waterfront zones along Galveston Bay.

The Passionate Pilgrim

He owns a baseball team, he's spent millions to wipe out a devastating Third World disease, and now he's out to save pro football for Houston. But what does John Jay Moores really want?

Picture Perfect

Digital technology blurs the real, the imagined and the meaning of photos as art